HEATH LEDGER - LEDGER'S DEATH SHOWS RISING PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE
Contactmusic - 31st Jul 2008
Heath Ledger:
Heath Ledger's death through an accidental overdose of prescription drugs illustrates a rise in home medication, according to a new study.
The Dark Knight star was found dead in his New York City apartment on January 22nd having ingested a fatal combination of sleeping tablets and painkillers.
And the Australian actor's tragic death - at just 28 years old - exemplifies the fatal dangers of asking patients to monitor their own medication, according to researchers at the University of California in San Diego.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine journal found a 3,196 per cent rise in fatal domestic medication errors involving alcohol and/or street drugs in a 21-year-period.
"Increasingly, people take their medications at home, away from hospitals and clinics," said principal author David P Phillips, professor of sociology at the university.
"But most studies of fatal medication errors have focused on those clinical settings.
"We wanted to know three things: how many of these fatal errors happen at home; how many involve alcohol and/or street drugs; and are these numbers going up?"
From examining nearly 50 million US death certificates from 1983 to 2004, the team found a 3,196 per cent rise in the number of deaths at home caused by combining medications with alcohol and/or street drugs.
Domestic medication fatalities which did involve alcohol or street drugs rose by 564 per cent in the same period while non-domestic medication fatalities involving alcohol and/or street drugs climbed by 555 per cent.
"Domestic fatal medication errors, combined with alcohol and/or street drugs, have become an increasingly important health problem," said the team.
"The decades-long shift in the location of medication consumption from clinical to domestic settings," the authors commented, "is linked to a dramatic increase in fatal medication errors."
In This Story
'DARK KNIGHT' BREAKS 8 RECORDS; $155.3M Weekend Will Beat 'Spidey 3'; But Rival Studios Questioning Numbers
SUNDAY AM: Warner Bros is reporting The Dark Knight will finish with a total North American weekend take of $155.3M. Here's the surprising studio breakdown: $67.8 million Friday, including those record-setting opening day midnight shows; $48 million Saturday (-29%), and projected $39.4 million Sunday (-18%). So if Sunday holds up, that FSS (Fri-Sat-Sun) non-holiday figure will be enough to snag the record from Spider-Man 3's $151.1 million. But it'll be close. The latest Batman installment did not set a rec
Comic-Con 2008 - Heath Ledger Bobblehead
Heath Ledger Joker bobblehead, presented without comment.
Nolan: 'Ledger Made The Dark Knight A Success'
Heath Ledger deserves all the credit for THE DARK KNIGHT's massive box office haul, according to the movie's director Christopher Nolan.
Ledger plays The Joker in the movie, the last full film role he completed before his death in January (08) from an accidental drug overdose. And Nolan insists Ledger made the movie a hit.
Speaking at The Dark Knight's Japanese premiere on Monday (28Jul08), the British filmmaker said, "(He was) what The Joker in our film would need to be.
"(We were) looking for
Terry Gilliam: Ledger 'brilliant' in last film
Director Terry Gilliam said replacing Heath Ledger's part with three actors to complete his final film after he died has worked.
Filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was suspended when the star was found dead in January.
Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell will now appear as Ledger's character, but scenes he had previously filmed will be included in the movie.
"I've seen it and it works and it's great," said Gilliam.
"It's the last chance to see Heath and he's brilliant," he ad
'The Dark Knight' Sets Record For Debut!
The new Batman movie has set a box office record for a midnight debut.
'Dark Knight' topples Spidey for biggest film opening
Batman vanquished his comic-book rival Spider-Man this weekend as The Dark Knight recorded the biggest opening in Hollywood history, raking in $155.3 million, according to studio estimates from Nielsen EDI.
'Dark Knight' sets weekend record with $155.34M The Associated Press
'Dark Knight' continues to dominate
Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight" continued its record-breaking crusade over the weekend, grossing an estimated $75.6 million from 4,366 theaters at the domestic box office.
The huge weekend means the pic broke the $300 million barrier in only 10 days and is quickly careening toward the $400 million mark.
No other film in history has made so much in its sophomore sesh, and the "Dark Knight" cume has reached $312.4 million. Batman sequel declined just 52% over the weekend.
'The Dark Knight' Review by Nick Wolfwood
Hollywood film insider Nick Wolfwood has fallen in love with 'The Dark Knight' as you can tell in this exclusive movie review by Nick. He says this film is likely to break every single box office record in front of it.
Is The Dark Knight really the best film ever made?
It's shot straight to the top of imdb.com's top films of all time. Fair praise for Christopher Nolan? Or is this a vote-rigging scandal by Bat-fans?
Joker Robs Banks, ‘Dark Knight’ Takes it Back
Though I make a point of not talking about box office totals, it’s kind of impossible to avoid talking about what’s going on with The Dark Knight this weekend. In this case, the numbers are interesting for a few reasons and they also allow me to continue procrastinating my review.
For one thing, the totals are historic. With sold-out midnight shows all around the country, the film made $18.4 million before some of you went to bed on Thursday night. In just 2 ½ hours it had made enough to put it at #
Heath Ledger's ex-fiancee Michelle Williams 'dating Hollywood director Spike Jonze'
Seven months after the sudden death of her ex-fiance Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams appears to have found happiness again.
A U.S. magazine reports the former Dawson's Creek actress, 27, has started dating film director Spike Jonze, ex-husband of Lost In Translation director Sofia Coppola.
Williams and Jonze, 38, have been spotted together several times near the film-maker's £1.5million New York apartment in recent weeks.
Heath Ledger's ex fiancee Michelle Williams with new love Spike Jonze
Michelle Williams has found love again with director Spike Jonze seven months after the tragic death of her former fiance Heath Ledger.
The pair boarded a private jet bound for Oregon yesterday along with the Brokeback Mountain actress's two-year-old daughter Matilda.
The trio were seen strolling together outside the airport, Williams at one point breaking into a broad smile.
'Dark Knight' sets weekend record with $155.34M
Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood's box office superheroes.
"The Dark Knight" took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released the "Batman Begins" sequel.
That topped Hollywood's previous best of $151.1 million, set by "Spider-Man 3" in May 2007.
"We knew it would be big, but we never expected to dominate the marketplace like we did," Fellman said. The movie should shoot past the $200 million mark by the
Arrested Batman star 'flew into a rage after his mother insulted his wife'
Batman star Christian Bale confronted his mother after she allegedly insulted his wife, MailOnline has learned.
Sources close to the actor said he 'flew off the handle' at London's Dorchester hotel after Jenny Bale said 'some outrageous things'.
Yesterday, the Welsh-born actor was arrested and bailed over an assault claim, which he has denied.
However, a source close to the 34-year-old actor says Bale is confident he’s done nothing wrong, and blames his mother.
He is also said to have become d
Michelle Williams Dating Spike Jonze?
Michelle Williams, Heath Ledger’s ex-fiancé may have found love again. Michelle is reportedly dating director Spike Jonze, who is the ex-husband of Sophia Coppolla.
The pair have been spotted several times over the last few weeks and were seen kissing near his Manhattan apartment. More after the jump...
The Dark Knight Midnight Screening Record!
According to the trades Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight" grossed the most ever for midnight shows, racking up an estimated $18.5 million.
The follow-up to 2005's "Batman Begins" outstripped the previous midnight record set by Fox's "Star Wars, Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith" which grossed $16.9 million from 3,663 venues. "Sith" went on to make $50 million in its first day, which was a Thursday. The highest single day opening record is currently held by Sony's "Spider-man 3" which made $59.8 million.
Batman film nears $200 million after first weekend
It turns out Batman is more of a superhero than first thought.
The latest installment in the Caped Crusader franchise, "The Dark Knight," enhanced its status as the biggest movie opening of all time at the North American box office, according to final data issued on Monday by its distributor, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The film grossed $158.355 million during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada -- a $3 million improvement over Sunday's estimate from the Time Warner Inc-owne
The Dark Knight reviewed
5 out of 5 stars , Best movie I have seen in 10 years is some of what I heard at the screening last night.
Sony may bite on Spidey spinoff
With Heath Ledger's villainous Joker drawing attention and boxoffice dollars, Sony is moving forward with "Venom," a potential "Spider-Man" spinoff based on a bad guy.
The studio is developing the project, based on the gooey nemesis who appeared in "Spider-Man 3" and is hoping the character could serve as an antidote to the aging "Spider-Man" franchise in the way that Fox has used Wolverine to add longevity to its "X-Men" franchise.
But getting any spinoff off the ground, let alone one centered on a v
The Dark Knight premieres in Japan
The Dark Knight premieres in Japan
Independent Review of The Dark Knight
Independent film critic gives The Dark Knight highest film rating of the year to date. He writes, "While Chris Nolan's Batman Begins was a magnificent film and one of the best superhero movies ever, The Dark Knight stands on its shoulders peering over into a whole new world. It's too bad for Iron Man which was looking to be the best superhero movie of the year, although, the comparison is a bit like comparing a year's best movie to a year's best epic film. Perhaps, The Dark Knight will finally do what no s
Dark Knight breaks all-time box office opening record
According to Box Office Mojo, the Dark Knight has broken the previous all-time single-day record set by Spiderman III ($59.8m). The new mark to beat now stands at $66.4m.
